"Diversity education" should not exclude parental rights and cultural values

What could possibly go wrong?

For Ontario's educational system to truly be built on diversity and freedom, parents must retain the right to choose the education they want for their children. A strong and viable public educational system must reflect the beliefs and cultural values of the parents.

The current battle in Ontario over the proposed sex education curriculum to be implemented for the fall of 2015 stems from the fact that the government wants to impose its views on all Ontarians. This approach tramples on parental rights and cultural beliefs. The way in which this dispute ends will determine the direction and value of public education in the province.

The government and its supporters need to stop using words such as "diversity," "inclusive" and "respect" to undermine real choice in education as it applies to curricula contents including sex education. There have been a number of protests since the new sex education curriculum was released. Parents have held numerous meetings in Brampton, Toronto, Mississauga, Peel and Scarborough and Windsor to question the curriculum. As well, the Institute for Canadian Values and the Coptic community have objected to  the curriculum. But the government so far has refused to listen to parents who don't want the curriculum to reach the classroom in its present form.  (more...)

"Diversity education" should not exclude parental rights and cultural values